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Friday, 8 July 2016

WESTERN MORAL DECLINE AND FALL OR CHANGE?

WESTERN MORAL DECLINE AND FALL OR CHANGE?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has written an interesting article which I reproduce below which appeared in the Telegraph. As a religious figure it is perhaps not surprising that he identifies the failures of the current “Western” systems as being moral and religious. I think he has highlighted some very important issues in his article.

However I do think there are other important contributory factors in creating the deep-seated anger of people. He hasn’t mentioned the way in which the basis of world trade has been restructured over the last 20-25 years.

During that period of time there has been a growing tendency for Governments to enter into wide-ranging “Trade Agreements” which create the conditions where it is in the interests of big business to transfer manufacturing facilities from the developed “Western nation states” to “Developing” states. In America this has led to many hundreds of thousands of jobs being relocated to Mexico and other Middle and South American countries and to Far Eastern countries, such as China.

In our own country with the active collaboration of our national political elite and of course at the urging of our business “leaders” often working through the EU, huge swathes of our national productive capacity has been “off-shored”.

There has also been the development of more complicated internationalisation of the ownership of national infrastructure. Many of our bus and rail companies have been bought by foreign companies. Even our nuclear facilities may soon be foreign owned and developed.

What Jonathan Sacks calls the “Liberal Democratic State” is a contradiction in terms since, as he suggests, the elite within that state has deliberately tried to abolish “national identity in favour of multi-culturalism”. Such states are therefore of course not actually “Democratic” in any meaningful sense at all, since a major part of their operating strategy is not to enable the role of the People but instead to change and replace the People!

Also the World Trading and economic system not only naturally leads to dissatisfaction due to rising unemployment amongst those whose jobs have been “off-shored” but also having created a fundamentally and inherently unsound international financial system, as was all too vividly demonstrated by the widespread collapse in the banking and financial system during the crash in 2007 and 2008.

The responses from Governments around the world has been widespread “quantitive easing” which has taken much of the role of bankers of expanding the money supply. There has also been wide-ranging regulatory crackdown on the ease of transfer of money not only internationally but also within the Nation State itself. Much of this has been done under the bogus and misleading label of controlling Money Laundering, but the net effect is that it is actually increasingly difficult to transfer money from one country to another, or if the sums are significant, from one person to another within the country. Such a regulatory approach naturally risks the collapse of the whole system of exchange and is an all too typical example of bureaucracies using a problem to increase their role and power instead of trying to actually solve the root causes of the problems.

In these circumstances it is not surprising that when people see those who should be genuinely setting us an example, because they have been put in positions of trust, abusing that position whether that is to advance their own interests or to fill their pockets, instead of demonstrating any genuine morality or honour, it is not surprising that those of us who still cling to the older ideas of national identity and of personal morality should feel disgust at the behaviour of many of the current crop of decision makers.

Here is the article:-

We need morality to beat this hurricane of anger; Jonathan Sacks

The Prime Minister resigns. There are calls for the Leader of the Opposition to likewise. A petition for a second referendum gathers millions of votes. There is talk of the United Kingdom splitting apart. The Tory succession campaign turns nasty. This is not politics as usual. I can recall nothing like it in my lifetime. But the hurricane blowing through Britain is not unique to us. In one form or another it is hitting every western democracy including the United States. There is a widespread feeling that politicians have been failing us. The real question is: what kind of leadership do we need to steer us through the storm?

Too many people in positions of public trust have come to the conclusion that if you can get away with it, you would be a fool not to do it

What we are witnessing throughout the West is a new politics of anger. There is anger at the spread of unemployment, leaving whole regions and generations bereft of hope. There is anger at the failure of successive governments to control immigration and to integrate some of the new arrivals. There is anger at the financiers who brought the global economy to the brink of disaster and yet continued to reward themselves as if nothing had happened. There is anger at CEOs using public corporations for private benefit. There is anger that while a few have benefited disproportionately from the global economy, most people have seen their standards of living stay static or decline. There is anger at the perceived impotence of governments to control the spread of extremism and terror. There is a widespread feeling that the world in the 21st century is running out of control. This has led in France, Greece, Austria, Hungary and Poland, to a resurgence of the Far Right. Elsewhere there is an emerging alliance of the Far Left and radical political Islam. These are dangerous forces, the Far Right seeking a return to a golden age that never was, the Far Left in pursuit of a utopia that will never be. They are both enemies of freedom. Meanwhile figures have emerged like Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn in Britain, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the United States who are essentially anti-political politicians, populists whose appeal is that they channel widespread anger at the existing elites. Anti-political politicians raise expectations that cannot be met. When reality bites, the anger becomes deeper and darker.

The problems facing the West are real and serious, the results of the massive dislocations of the global economy, the information age, instantaneous worldwide communication and the outsourcing of production and services to low-wage economies. What makes them so intractable is the fact that they are global and long-term, while our best political institutions are national and focused on the immediate future. The European Union and the United Nations have lamentably failed to lift horizons from the here-and-now of national self-interest to long-term global responsibility. WB Yeats’s vision has come to pass. The centre no longer holds. Things fall apart. Anarchy is loosed upon the world. But there is something deeper behind the dysfunctional politics of the contemporary West. For the past half century we have been living through one of the great unstated social experiments of all time. We have tried to construct a world without identity and morality. Instead we left it to two systems to deal with the problems of our collective life: the market economy and the liberal democratic state.

The market economy and the liberal democratic state are two of the West’s greatest achievements, but without a strong sense of identity and morality, they will fail.

Morality has been outsourced to the market. The market gives us choices, and morality has been reduced to a set of choices in which right or wrong have no meaning beyond the satisfaction or frustration of desire. We find it increasingly hard to understand why there might be things we want to do and can afford to do, that we should not do because they are dishonourable or disloyal or demeaning: in a word, unethical. Too many people in positions of public trust have come to the conclusion that if you can get away with it, you would be a fool not to do it. That is how elites betray the public they were supposed to serve. When that happens, trust collapses and a civilization begins to decay and die. Meanwhile the liberal democratic state abolished national identity in favour of multiculturalism. The effect was to turn society from a home into a hotel. In a hotel you pay the price, get a room, and are free to do what you like so long as you do not disturb the other guests. But a hotel is not a home. It doesn’t generate identity, loyalty or a sense of belonging. Multiculturalism was supposed to make Europe more tolerant. Its effect has been precisely the opposite, leading to segregation, not integration. The market economy and the liberal democratic state are two of the West’s greatest achievements, but without a strong sense of identity and morality, they will fail. To turn crisis into opportunity, we must recover the central insight of our great religious and civic traditions, that society is woven out shared ideals. Confident in our identity, we can welcome and integrate new waves of immigration. Strong in our moral sense, we can build businesses that strengthen communities. The choice is stark. Fail, and we will have the politics of anger and decline. Succeed and Britain may yet again become an example to the world.

6 comments:

I have read this with interest. I had always assumed that Jews favour multiculturalism as they favour a nation of communities - who would have ever thought 70 years ago that we would need a "Communities Minister" - and that some may prefer a lessening of European power in the world. Perhaps I have been too presumptive in my conclusions, if the Chief Rabbi is speaking truthfully. The Jews in Britain are much fewer in number than Muslims. On the whole they have integrated but there is a worrying trend now with Orthodox Jews in London self-segregating in a way that the Jews of pre-War Warsaw, being a third or more of the city's population, did. Basically, with "ethnic communities" it all comes down to numbers. Most host communities can support some but not so many as to threaten the identity and culture of the host country. This is showing itself now graphically in the United States where Central America has colonised the North and tensions have mounted to fever pitch.

Rabbi Sacks talks of the far right harking back to a golden age that never was. I would beg to differ with him there. Old Europe was not perfect but it was much better than the no-borders new Dark Age swirling around of people and the destruction of national identities. Apparently, 60m refugees have been invited to head west so it is going to get much, much worse. This reminds me of the Iraqi boy who lost his arms in 2003 through American bombing who said that Sadaam Hussein was bad but things now are 100 times worse there.

People have said to me that the EU is corrupt, this is correct, but no more corrupt than Westminster or Washington. Frank Field recently said about the BHS business, that there are no morals left. Doubtless, Rabbi Sacks would point to the removal by Marx and Money of the Judaeo Christian heritage as a moral compass. I was astounded just now on teletext of a theme park in Kentucky where "Christians" had built a giant version of Noah's Ark. What amazed me was that the writer had to explain who Noah was and what he was up to. Even when my children were small, 30 plus years ago, every child would have known the story.

An aside about Brexit, as we are warned that energy prices are to rise because of the falling pound and other scare stories, most of those who lived through the War or had to cope with 20% inflation or the three day week in the 70s are not phased. We always knew that freedom comes at a price. But the youngsters are running round like headless chickens as the comfy lifestyle they have know throughout all their lives is threatened. Richard Branson has been to see Teresa May, assuming she will be the next pm, to demand a second referendum. Further evidence of big money versus democracy. We have a chance to fight back. A government petition demanding the revoking of Article 50 now has already reached 80,000 signatures. Please sign it. It may come to nothing as most of our politicians are in the pockets of big business and the banks but it will make a point if debated. And there is good news, the FBI have not done with Crooked Hillary yet. It would be nice if our security services could launch something similar with regard to our own corrupt politicians instead of removing from this website the comments of those making a last ditch attempt to preserve our national identity. At least Rabbi Sacks has explained why.

it's hardly fair to channnel Farage into the dreamscape role. After spending 17 years in the mind numbing EU chamber it's a surprise that a man of his intelligence is still sane. He's done the world a favour, far more than any religeous leader woulld manage, however eminent etc etc.. Given the fall out already and those elites looking for exits themselves, I shouldn't wonder!

America is showing Europe the future, after having forced her into her own pluralist dream. I watched with interest a former advisor to Bill Clinton advocating a Trump presidency, saying that Bill had agreed to a wall between California and Mexico which never materialised for one. As to Hillary, he has written a book on her and the inference is that she has become as delusional as Blair. Whether she was told that she would be rich beyond her wildest dreams if she just acted for the ultimate puppeteers, we do not know; but this gentleman said that her one aim in life now is to accumulate all the wealth on offer. The similarities with Blair are striking and it is obvious that both are a few bricks short of a full load, if not plain psychotic. I think that, like Blair, Hillary's glory days may now be over.

Meanwhile, I was amused and frustrated at a commentator who said that Obama pledged to heal the rift between black and white and was confused as to why things are getting worse and worse. The answer, of course, is shifting demographics as whites, once the overwhelming majority, have now reached minority status. America is turning into another Apartheid South Africa, despite the fact that the American elites were behind the demise of that regime. This is inevitable as, as in Brazil, the whites hang on to the money as they become outnumbered. Those white police officers are scared to death, knowing that they are becoming outnumbered and have to keep non-whites in their places. Enoch Powell would not have been surprised. He warned us about the dangers of multracialism in 1968 but the elites who intended to use it to achieve total power had him removed.If you want to see the future for England, France, Sweden and a host of other West European countries then just look across the Atlantic. The future is bloody but this comes as no surprise to those who wearily keep repeating, "I told you so".

Ian R Crane said that if we voted for a Brexit they would make life so unbearable for us that we would beg them to let us back into the EU. This is now their game. I have just been told that the aim is to bring down the dollar, euro and pound to replace them all with a single currency for the one world state ruled by the Anti-Christ/false Messiah. Those behind the Anti-Christ are behind the present Sunni Shia conflict with the Saudi-Israel alliance and their aim is to extend this to full-blown war between the Shia led by Iran and Russia and the Sunni led by Saudi Arabia/Israel.

I watch Arron Banks, the funder of the Leave campaign with Andrew Marr. He is supporting Andrea Leadsom because he does not trust Teresa May and thinks we will keep us in the EU in all but name. He said that Norway voted to stay out but her elites have ensured she is in in all but name also.He predicts that UKIP with a new name could sweep up all those Tory and Labour seats that voted Brexit. He also wants a new party to straddle both parties which would make use of referenda regularly like Switzerland i.e true democracy.

Meanwhile, I also watched The Pledge last night on Sky News about the Brexit. June Sarpong of African heritage and James Caan of Pakistani heritage were screaming for a second referendum. Nick Ferrari of LBC was very good saying that a second referendum - now rejected despite the 4.5m signatures - would lead to tanks on the streets. It is becoming obvious that the English are now fighting back in a big way, showing their Viking blood. He also said that those in London in their bubble in their chauffeured cars should go to Sunderland or the South Wales Valleys. He was furious saying that if Remain had won and the Brexiters had demanded a second referendum, they would have laughed. The word on the block now is that countries on the Continent and in Scandinavia wanting exit are watching what is going to happen to England. They then said that it must be put in the manifestos of the parties and put to the people at an election. This is probably the trick they have up their sleeves. The rulers of the new world empire will not allow us to escape. Ferrari is right, it will lead to tanks on the streets but it is now obvious that America is a hair's breadth away from martial law and it has been said that the new European army is being prepared to introduce martial in the EU with or without us.

How is this for chutzpah?Robin! Regarding the Telegraph article by Rabbi Jonathan Sachs and your response to it, which forms as the first part of this particular article.

QUESTION-" To be precise, which Rabbi Jonathan Sachs were you responding to?"1) Were you responding to Rabbi Jonathan Sachs the British "National" OR2)"Rabbi Jonathan Sachs the Ultra Zionist Israeli?" (albeit he has dual Nationality)Having read your response,it seems clear to me at least,that you were responding to Rabbi Jonathan Sachs the Brit rather than the Israeli.It is unsurprising to me that you would respond in the way that you did, given the message design logic used by Rabbi Jonathan Sachs to convey a British/English position.The carefully selected wording,which evidences elements of Ideo/Political double entendre and connective lexicon like WE-US so on.Was cleverly used and included in the design logic,deliberately to convey a message from a Brit rather than from an Ultra Zionist Israeli.Given the time and space to write,I could take apart this exercise in dissimulation.Aware of the Zionist component to this, then the word disingenuous comes to mind.As a way of justifying my entitlement to chutzpah regards my comment. I offer two videos for you to view to help you make up your own mind on this one. Go to YouTube and watch1)Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs at APAIC (2013)1)Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs-The World we make with words (how apt!)The last twenty minutes make for informative viewing. I+E Nationalist.